Fishing Fish Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Anoka County, Minnesota, is where Fish Lake sits. It sits in rolling bush country. The water covers around 316 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The bank runs about 2.7 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is among the larger waters listed here for Anoka County. East Bethel lies 6 miles from the water. Minneapolis is the closest city, 30 miles away. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Fish Lake

  Depth records show about 11 feet at the bottom of the basin. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Anoka County include bluegill, common carp and black crappie. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Work Fish Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 11°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The open-water window runs from around early April to about late November in an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Fish Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Cedar Bog Lake, 1.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Fish Lake may have changed since it was mapped.